Mechanism for holding and moving hulls of vessels on water.



. m. 653,475. Patented July 10, 1900.

J. K. HOWE & J. CLARK.

MECHANISM FOR HOLDING AND MOVING 'HULLS 0F VESSELS UN WATER.

(App1ication filed Apr'l29, 1899.) (NovModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet I.

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MECHANISM kOR HOLDING AND MOVING HULLS 0F VESSELS ON WATER.

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No. 653,475. Patented 'Iuly 10,1900 J. K. HOWE &' J. CLARK.

MECHANISM FOR HOLDING AND MOVING HULLS- 0F VESSELS 0N WATER. (Application filed Apr. 29, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Shoots-Sheet 4.

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PATENT F r ICE.

JOHN K. HOWE AND JAMES CLARK, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

MECHANISM FOR HOLDING AND MOVING HULLS 0F VESSELS 0N WATER.

SrEcIFIcA'rION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,475, dated July 10,1900.

Application filed April 29, 1899.

T0 0% whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN K. HOWE and JAMES CLARK, citizens of the United-States, residing at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanisms for Holding and Moving Hulls of Vessels on Water, of which the following is a specifica-' tion.

Our invention relates to improvements for holding the hull of a vessel, as that of a dredging-machine, derrick, pile-driver, elevator, vessel transporting structure, or other vessel, stationary on particular fields of Water for purposes of operations to be had from said hull or structure and for shifting the same either endwise or sidewise from time to time, as may be found to be advantageous; and it consists in the novel devices and novel combinations and arrangements of parts and devices hereinafter sct forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Vessels or hulls of vessels for use for mechanical operations and required to be held stationary on water in relation to adjacent or neighboring places, things, vessels, or other structures, while a specific mechanical operation is to be had, have usually been held in place on their field of water by one of two meth ods, one methodbein g to use vertically-movin g timbers, known as spuds, working through guides secured to the hull and lowered into the water so that their lower ends may engage with the bottom or bed of the water on which the hull floats, and the other method being the use of anchors which are secured to lines or chains running 0E from the deck of the hull. The first-mentioned method cannot be advantageously employed with hulls floating on deep water, because spuds of sufficient length to reach the bottom of such deep water would be unwieldy and difficult to manage, while the second method is equally objectionable, as the anchor-lines are run in such directions and are in such situations as to become obstacles to the free maneuvering of tugs, scows, or other vessels alongside.

The primary object of our invention is to provide the hull'or vessel of the classes mentioned with deeply-submerged anchor lines or chains and suitable anchors for cooperation with suitable vertically-movable posts said posts.

Serial No. 714,986. (No model.)

suitably secured to the hull, and another ob ject is to provideahull or vessel having vertically movable posts, submerged anchor lines or chains, and anchors with mechanisms by means of which the said anchor lines or chains may 'at will be variously operated for pulling on or slackening said lines While the anchors are holding with the bottom of the water float ing said hull or vessel.

Other objects and advantages of our inven-' tion will be fully understood from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan illustrating our invention for holding the hull or vessel stationary on deep water. Fig. 2 is anelevation illus trating one form of arrangement of anchor lines or chains between the anchors and the hull which may be employed in the practice of our invention. Fig. 3 is an elevation illustrating another form of arrangement of anchor lines or chains between the anchors and the hull for the same purpose. Fig. t is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating mechanism for adjusting the anchor-line posts and fixing the same from moving and also for operating the anchor-lines connected with Fig. 5 is a plan illustrating mechanism for operating the .anchor -lines connected with the posts; and Fig. 6 is an end view of a hull, anchor-line-holding spud, and

I mechanisms for operating the anchor lines or chains for paying them out or hauling them in or holding them fast to the post, as may be found to be advantageous or as may be required at times.

The same letters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, A is the hull of a vessel designed to carry the equipment of mechan isms which may be provided for carrying our invention into practice and also for carrying the equipment of machinery to be employed on the vessel for specific operations-say as for. operating machinery of dredges, derricks, pile-drivers, elevators,or for other purposes-- when the vessel is fixed stationary.

As the hulls of vessels of the classes designated are so well known, adescription of their construction is unnecessary.

B B are vertically-movable anchoring-line posts in a suitable number and secured by suitable means to the hull A and in locations, respectively, fore and aft and suitably held in place from shifting in anydirection. Our preferred means for securely holding said posts in place consists of the post-guiding ways 2, Fig. 1, as generally constructed and secured to the hull of the vessel, as heretofore commonly practiced in dredging niachines. These ways may be of any suitable form of construction which may adaptthe anchoring-line posts to be freely moved verticallyin either direction and to any advantageous or preferred distance. In Fig. 1 is shown an anchoring-line post at each end of the hullAand each at a point about midway in the width of the same. These posts B are each of such length as to adapt them' to be thrust vertically down into deep water for carrying their lower ends below the plane of the bottom of the hull A to such a distance as may be found to be advantageous for submerging the anchor lines carried by their lower ends and at the same time be retained in place in their respective ways B. When two anchoring-line posts are employed with the hull, we provide two anchor lines or chains 0 C, which are suitably retained in place and holding with the lower end of each of said posts, (one fore and one aft, as shown in Fig. 1.) To the out end of each such line C C we secure an anchor D in any suitable manner. These anchor-lines O O are of suitable length for allowing their out ends and the anchors secured thereto to be extended differently out from said posts in directions and lines approximately transverse to that of the length of the hull A and to such a distance as may be found to be advantageous or possible. When extended out from the spuds B, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, these submerged anchor-lines will be at a distance below the surface of the waterin the neighborhood of and surrounding the hull sufficient to allow the free'maneuvering of tugs, scows, lighters, or other vessels alongside as may be advantageous or desirable.

In the modification of arrangements of the anchor-lines O O in Fig. 2 the drawings show these lines holding with the lower ends of a pair of posts B, one at each side of the hull and extended down to an advantageous distance below the plane of the bottom of the hull and extended outward in diiferent directions and suitably attached to anchors D D, which have secured to them floats E, by means of suitable lines 0, for locating the anchors holding in the grounds distant from the hull. In this modification each anchorline C O is shown to be continuous from post to anchor, yet these lines may be made longer and be extended from their respective anchors to the floats they are each to connect with for indicating the location of the former; but separate and lighter lines o, secured to the anchors and running to the floats, may

be used. In modification Fig. 3 the drawings show these anchor-lines O 0 consisting each in a line connected with the same post B and running out from the hull in different directions and having their out ends secured to anchors D for holding with a distant an-- choring-ground, while a line 0 from each an-- chor connects with a float E for indicating the location of the anchor it is connected with. In Fig. 1 are shown in full lines third anchor-lines 0 run out from each post B in direction about transverse to directions of lines 0 C. These third anchor-lines we term end anchor-lines, of which but one may be extended out'from the posts, as in cases where the hull employed may be that of a dredge, where the other might be advantageously omitted, so that the bucket of the dredge may be freely operated in vicinity of the end thereof at which such omission occurs. Each one of these third anchor-lines has a holding with the lower end portion of a post B in the same manner as lines 0 O and has its outer end secured to an anchor D. These anchorlines 0 c 0 may be connected to the lower ends of posts B, located at the sides of the hull, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, while lines 0 C may be each extended from side posts, asB B in Fig. 2, as indicated by dotted lines in same figure, when a greater depth of submergence of' those lines may be had. When an end line C C is employed with hulls which may require to be moved endwise toward the anchor end of the line, such line may be employed from time to time as a hauling=line for moving the vessel forward or rearward as may be required for continuing the operations to be advanced;

The posts B may be made of any suitable material and form of construction and be at will adjusted vertically,in relation to the hull, to any advantageous position allowable by their length and limit of their ways they work in by means of any of the many mechanisms heretofore employed for raisin g,1owerin g, and holding ground-holding posts in place moved to. In Fig. 4 is shown a form of mechanism which is well known and has been employed for raising, lowering, and holding the posts, which mechanism consists of a hoisting-block F and rope F, the first connected with the upper end of the postand the latter with any suitable hoistingmachine with which the trade is familiar and which does not require any particular description, while a holding mechanism, also familiar to the trade, may be employed for securing the post at places adjusted to. In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 such a holding mechanism is shown to comprise a series of horizontal perforations b 1), preferably in pairs, made through the post at suitable distances from each other, and metal pins (Z d, passing through a pair of said perforations and having their outer ends resting on plates e e, secured on portions of the pieces forming postway a or a, and the locking-bolts ff,

Figs. 4 and 5, passed through staples g g, secured to plates 6 e, and oversaid pins 01 d, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The anchor-lines C O C are each so connected with the lower end portions of each post I) as to adapt them, respectively, to be freely moved at will lengthwise in either direction and as may be advantageous for pulling in or paying out said lines from time to time, and to allow them either singly or conjointly to be paid out or hauled in to equal or different distances, as may befound to be advantageous. The portions of these anchorlines which connect with the lower end of post B are carried up from their points of connection with said end, preferably by being bent on any suitable piece which may be adapted to allow said portions to be freely paid out or hauled in without being injured, and any suitable known mechanisms provided on the deck of the hull A or below deck may be employed for operating with said anchorlines as may be preferred or be found to be advantageous.

Our preferred devices for bending and guiding the running portions of the respective anchor lines or chains consist of sheaves H H, Figs. 4 and 6, and H, suitably mounted on shafts or pintles h andrevolving in suitable chambers provided in the material of the lower end portions of the posts, and line-guid ing plates h (one for each sheave) secured to the spud on a line a little below the-lower side of the sheaves the guide-plates are to coact with for guiding the running portions of said lines or chains. These anchor lines or chains, respectively, pass each through its line-guiding plate It, then up to the lower side of its sheave H, (or H',) and to the opposite side of the spud, and thence upward against a side thereof, then through a suitable groove j, provided in the postway, one for each line, as shown by full lines in Fig. 5 and indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, and then over their respective bearing-pulleys J J J, which are suitably supported from the deck, and then to guiding-pulleys K K, also supported from the deck, when they are preferably passed down below deck to beneath guiding-pulleys L L, which are preferably supported from the lower side of the deck-timbers and then run to the hoisting-drums M, provided for hauling in or paying out or holding said lines, as may be required from time to time. These drums may be operated by any convenient power and may be provided with suitable mechanism controlled by an operator for revolving said drums simultaneously or singly or for releasing or holding the same as operations are to be had with said anchor lines or chains.

When it is desired to place and hold the hull A on any particular field of water in or on which operations are to be had by machinery carried by said hull or at which other vessels are to receive transfers therefrom, the anchor ends of the respective anchor-lines O 0, together with their respective anchors and floats, will be carried by a tug or other boat out to such a distance from the hull A as may be found to be suitable or advantageous, when the anchors D will be dropped to the bottom of the water and find anchoringground therewith, while the floats E, being connected with the respective anchors, will at all times indicate, approximately, the 10 cation of each anchor, so that they may readily be found and shifted from time to time, as may be required. Then by operating with the extended anchor-lines G G by hauling on one by operation of its particular hoisting-drum M and paying out the other-from its particular drum M, at the same time the anchors of those lines are holding with their anchoring-grounds, the end of the hull from which the lines are hauled and paid out may readily be moved to and located on the exact field of water intended or desired to be occupied. Then by hauling on a proper line at the opposite end of the hull and paying out the other line at the same time the opposite end of the hull may be readily located on the exact place desired on the water. When it is desired to move the hull A sidewise from a field of water to another field, new or in part new, such sidewise movement may be effected by hauling in on a proper side anchor-line and paying out at the same time the opposite side anchor-line. By similar operations with the end anchor-lines O (I -that is to say, by hauling in on one of the said end anchorlines While its anchoris holding in its ground and paying out the opposite end anchor-line the hull may be moved endwise in direction of the line C hauled on.

It is to be understood that the pieces which we term posts may be of any suitable form of construction and may be held secured to the hull and fixed from moving in any direction, While their lower end portions are su-bmerged in the water below the plane of the bottom of the hull by any suitable means, and it is to be further understood that the anchor-lines O C C may be rope of hemp or wire or be chains, yet we at present prefer to make them of rope, because of its lightness as compared to chain of equal strength. It is also to be understood that there may be but one post located at one end or one side of the hull, and the other end or other side may have the anchor-lines running directly from the deck, as heretofore.

Having described our invention, what we or more lines connected with the lower end of said posts and an anchor attached to the outwardly-extended end of each line, as and v for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination with a'hull of avessel and one or more adjustable vertically-mov able posts adapted to be fixed pendent below the bottom of the hull, of one or more lines suitably connected to the lower end of each post and an anchor attached to the outer end of each line, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination with a hull of a vessel and one or more vertically-movable posts extended below the bottom of the same, of one or more line-guiding devices provided at the lower end of each post, a line run through each said guiding devices, and an anchor attached to the outer end of each line as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination with a hull of a vessel and one or more vertically-movable posts, of one or more line-guiding devices at the lower end of each post, lines running through said guiding devices, an anchor attached to each line, and mechanisms for vertically moving each post in either direction and holding it in place adjusted to, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination with a hull of a vessel and one or more vertically-movable posts, of one or more line-guiding devices secured to the lower end of each post, of lines running through said guiding devices, an anchor attached to each line and mechanism adapted to pay out, haul in, and hold said lines, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination with a hull of avessel and one or more vertically-movable posts, of one or more line-guiding devices secured to the lower end of each post, one or more lines moving through said guiding devices, an anchorattached to each line, mechanisms adapted to vertically move each post in either direction and hold it fixed, and mechanism adapted to pay out, haul in, and hold each said line, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination with a hull of a vessel, one or more submerged anchor-lines, an anchor attached to one end of each such line, and a pendent vertically-movable post which is connected by its upper end portion to the hull, of line-guiding devices secured to the submerged end of the pendent post and adapted to allow said submerged lines to be freely moved through them, in either direction, suitable mechanisms, carried by the hull and under control of an operator, adapted to pay out, haul in and hold said lines, and a float connected with each anchor, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN K. HOWE. JAMES CLARK.

Witnesses:

ALEX. SELKIRK, CHARLES SELKIRK. 

